whom you have to deal with-how great and good a God-obferve, how you praise him Engage all your mental powers in this delightful work, that it may be holy, acceptable to God, and a reasonable fer

vice.

:

The apoftle agrees in fentiment with the pfalmift: For thus he fpeaks to the Corinthians: "If I pray in an unknown "tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my un"derftanding is unfruitful: What is it "then? I will pray with the spirit and I "will pray with the understanding alfo : "I will fing with the fpirit, and I will "fing with the understanding alfo." Singing is unfruitful, unlefs the understanding go with it. Unlefs the mind be profited, and God be honored, it is only empty found. But when we fing by the Spirit, then he will teach us to fing with the understanding alfo. He will open the fubject to us, will give a fixt attention to it, will bring the mind into tune, and will keep us looking at the fenfe, more than at the found.

Is it fo with thee, O my foul? Enquire carefully. Art thou led by the Spirit in thy finging? Does he enlighten thy mind, and guide thee into the knowlege of the fubject, in which thou art engaged? Take heed, and be often examining thyfelf-how

thy

thy mind is affected-leaft thou fhouldi prefent unto the Lord the fong of fools.

But chiefly keep thy heart diligently : Because out of it are the iffues of life. The man is what his heart is. If this te dead to God, nothing in him is alive: If this be right with God, all will be right. If he has a clean heart, and a right spirit renewed within him, the holy Ghost has made him a new creature in Chrift Jefus, and has won the will and the affections over to God. This is his principal office in the converfion of finners. He therefore discovers truth to the understanding, in order that it may become defireable, and that the heart may be properly inAluenced by it. The heart is the commanding faculty. When this has once tafted the sweetness of the Father's love in Jefus, it will engage the whole man to feek for more. Love is very active, and will do or fuffer much to obtain and to preferve the beloved object. Set this ipring a going, it will move all the wheels. The hands will work for God. The feet will run the way of his commandments. Love will make heavy burdens not grievous to be borne: Love will carry them a long time, and faint not. Jacob ferved feven years for Rachel, and they seemed unto him but a few days

for

for the love which he had unto her. The labor of love is always delightful. When we know God to be our Father in Jefus, and have his love fhed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghoft, then his service becomes perfect freedom: Then duty is ennobled into privilege: Then obedience becomes willing, and filial: The beloved child finds free accefs to the Father's throne, and receives bleffed communications of his grace: For which his thankful heart offers the facrifice of praise, and it comes up with a fweet favor acceptable to God through Jefus Chrift. This is the melody of the heart. While it feels its infinite debt to free grace, is deeply convinced of its utter unworthiness, and is kept humble by the abiding sense of its imperfections, and of its indwelling corruptions, it is in a right frame to exalt the exceeding riches of divine mercy. Then it is difpofed to give God all his glory. This he requires, as his due, and it becometh well the righteous to pay it. When the heart is made willing to afcribe every good to his holy name, then it is right with God. All within is now in tune to join every golden harp, and every joyful tongue in heaven, which are afcribing bleffing and honor, and glory and power

to

to him that fitteth upon the throne, and to the lamb for ever.

This is the chief requifite in finging pfalms. The heart makes the beft mufic. The finest compofitions, ever fo well executed with inftruments and voices are not a divine concert, unless the heart accompany them. David knew this well, and therefore he fet his affections to the highest pitch of praise, and he brought ALL of them to join. His whole heart entered into the performance, and rendered the concert full." I will praise thee, O Lord "my God, with ALL my heart, and I will

glorify thy name for evermore: For "great is thy mercy towards me." Thy fpecial covenant mercy is fuch towards me, that my very thoughts cannot rife up to its greatness: How then can I utter forth all its praife? I cannot; no, not even half of it. But though the debt be fo great, that I cannot count it up, yet I will the more extoll thee for it from day to day I would engage my affections, and give them all up to this heavenly employment. I would have my whole foul in it. And yet the debt remains, rather increases. O for a more enlarged heart! My praises continued are only acknowlegements, and I want them continued with growing humility-more in earth and more in heaven.

There

There I shall praise better, when my heart will have nothing in it, but humble gratitude. Yet here I will not give over; but will carry on my joyful fong, till I can fing in a higher ftrain. "Praile the Lord, "O my foul, and all within me blefs his "holy name: O give thanks unto him "for he is good, and his mercy endureth "for ever. Hallelujah."

The apostle Paul had his portion in the fame mercy, and had the fame grateful sense of it: He fang the pfalms of David with the fpirit of David. What he practiced himself he has recommended to others. He has given us fome rules about finging in the congregation, and he chiefly confines them to the heart accompanying the voice. Thus he directs the Ephefians"Be not drunk with wine wherein is ex

cefs, but be ye filled with the fpirit, "speaking to yourselves in pfalms and hymns, and fpiritual fongs, finging and

making melody IN YOUR HEARTS unto "the Lord, giving thanks always for all

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things unto God and the Father in the "name of our Lord Jefus Chrift." He would not have them meet together, as they formerly had done, to feaft without fear, and to drink unto drunkenness, inciting one another to greater riot and excefs by wanton and profane fongs: Which

was